Ropes and cables are constructed of helical strands. The strand shape/cross-section/profile can be circular or non-circular. Typical non-circular strands include vertexes.
The term “stranding process” refers herein to the manufacturing process of the strand.
During the stranding process, geometrical parameters of the strand must be controlled and measured. The quality of the strand and of the rope is obtained accordingly.
Geometrical parameters and features of the strand include: roundness and uniformity of the strand surface, critical dimensions of the strand shape, lay length of the twisted non-circular strand construction, any geometrical parameter that may impact the position of the strand when it is closed into the rope configuration, the final principal dimensions of the rope and the outer surface of the rope.
Any anomaly/defect/fault generated during the stranding process of the strand may generate a critical anomaly anomaly/defect/fault at the rope level. The presence of anomaly/defect/fault at the rope level can cause the discarding of the rope during the rope closing process. Moreover, if the anomaly/defect/fault is not detected during the strand manufacturing process or at the rope closing process, the rope may be supplied to the customer defected.
The anomaly/defect/fault can generate degradation/damage/interference to the rope performance and mechanical behavior. This can generate damage to the application, impacting the safety level, impacting the installation's performance and causing a considerable reduction in service life.
There is a need for an online/real time procedure and system for the detection of geometrical anomalies/defects/faults, during the stranding process of non-circular and circular strands.
This may avoid disqualification of the rope at the manufacturer or at the customer or end user side. The online/real time procedure and system for the detection, providing the quality assurance (QA), may eliminate manufacturing expenses.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for measuring the geometry of the non-circular strand during the manufacturing thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to detect defects during the stranding process.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.